Author: Vardiafrica

Following the aftermath of the gas explosion which claimed a life in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital last Saturday, the Federal Government has said it would stop granting licences to gas companies with no capacity to build pipelines for gas distribution. This was communicated by the Minister of State For Petroleum Resources ( Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, when he visited Abeokuta for an on-the-spot assessment of Saturday’s CNG explosion at Ita Oshin. According to him, the development became imperative to discourage the transportation of compressed natural gas through the roads. A CNG gas truck owned by Gasco Marine which had suffered…

Popular celebrity bartender and businessman, Pascal Okechukwu, also known as Cubana Chief Priest, is exploring an out-of-court settlement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with respect to the charge of Naira abuse levelled against him by the anti-graft agency at the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos. His lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, disclosed this to trial judge, Justice Kehinde Ogundare at the proceedings on Thursday. The defence counsel also told the court that parties have applied that the matter be settled pursuant to the provisions of section 14(2) of the EFCC Act. Chikaosolu said that…

The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal in Abuja, has ordered that its interim order, restraining MultiChoice Nigeria Limited from increasing the DSTV tariff, be pasted at the firm’s corporate headquarters, or any known address of the branches across Nigeria. The chairman of the tribunal, Saratu Shafii, who made the order dated April 29, 2024, said the document should also be pasted at MultiChoice’s known email address, social media handles and any means of communication publicly known for MultiChoice.” The interim order, restraining MultiChoice from increasing its tariff, was granted in favour of an Abuja-based lawyer, Festus Onifade, who is aggrieved…

The NLC and TUC have threatened a showdown if the ₦615,000 is not approved by the President Bola Tinubu administration before the end of May. The Federal Government has been given until May 31 by Organized Labour to develop a new, appropriate minimum wage for Nigerian workers. During Wednesday’s Workers’ Day celebrations in Eagle Square, Abuja, Labor made this known. Comrade Festus Osifo, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe AJaero attributed the current economic conditions to inflationary pressures, which include rising food, energy, and transportation costs. The two…

The Federal Government says although the Tripartite Committee On National Minimum Wage is yet to conclude its negotiations, workers will not lose anything as the new minimum wage will take effect from May 1, 2024. The Minister of State Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, stated this on Wednesday while addressing Nigerian workers at the May Day celebration in Abuja. She said it is regrettable that the new national minimum wage is not ready before today, but that a wide consultation is ongoing to ensure that the document is out together as soon as possible. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade…

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) says increasing the minimum wage for civil servants from N30,000 to N615,000 won’t worsen Nigeria’s inflation rate which stood at 33.20% as of March 2024.  “If you look today, from May 2023 to date, revenue from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) to the state governments has tripled,” TUC President, Festus Osifo, said on Channels Television’s Morning Brief breakfast programme on Wednesday. “This means the state government has more money to build roads and schools to purchase other items. “The most critical aspect of production is labour. It is for you to take part of the money and…

The Federal Government has approved a salary increase of between 25% and 35% for civil servants on the remaining six Consolidated Salary Structures. This move is coming on the eve of the 2024 Workers’ Day event and is contained in a Tuesday statement by the Head of Press at the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC)Emmanuel Njoku. The increment takes effect from January 1st, 2024. The Salary Structure includes the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS), Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), Consolidated Police Salary Structure (CONPOSS), Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure (CONPASS), Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure…

The Port-Harcourt-Aba railway has been opened for operation by the federal government following the completion of its rehabilitation, which forms part of the ongoing work at the 1443km Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri narrow gauge rail project. The railway is reportedly part of the intensified drive by the Federal Government to facilitate trade, enhance mobility, and accessibility and ensure connectivity between the southern parts of the country to the Northeastern part. Inaugurating operations on the rehabilitated 62km rail corridor on Tuesday, the Minister of Transportation, Sen. Said Alkali, said his Ministry was in discussions with an investor on retrofitting locomotives from diesel to CNG…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) announced on Monday that it had received an interim dividend payment of N450 million out theN1.5bn declared by the Waltersmith Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited. This payment represents NCDMB’s 30% share in the company for the year ended 2023. The NCDMB had in July 2018 invested $10m to acquire 30% stake in the 5000 barrels per day (bpd) modular refinery project located at Ibigwe, Imo State, to support the Federal Government’s policy on modular refinery, stimulate investment and create employment opportunities. Rising from a Board Meeting of Waltersmith Refinery and Petrochemical Company…

The Senate has resumed plenary after six weeks of recess in the newly renovated hallowed chamber opened over two years after the reconstruction began. Shortly after the regular announcements by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, a heated argument ensued between some ranking members over sitting arrangement. Three Senators engaged in heated argument. Senator Danjuma Goje, who is a four-time ranking Senator representing Gombe Central; and Sahabi Yau, Senator representing Zamfara North; expressed displeasure over the back seats assigned to them, and complained to the Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele. According to the standing rules of the upper legislative…